Delicious Chana Masala Recipes

Steps:

• Grind onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and chile pepper together in a food processor into a paste.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the paste into the skillet and cook until the oil begins to separate from the mixture and is golden brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the mixture with chili powder, coriander, powder, gram masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir enough water into the mixture to get a thick gravy; bring to a boil and stir chickpeas into the gravy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and green chile pepper in hot oil until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Season onion mixture with cumin, paprika, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; stir. Cook onion with spices until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and tomato sauce; stir and simmer until the tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir yogurt into the mixture until the color of the mixture is even; simmer until again hot, about 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat; stir lemon juice and salt into the mixture.

Steps:

• Drain the chickpeas, then combine them in a large Dutch oven with the baking soda, bay leaves, black tea bag, black cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. (To pressure cook the chickpeas, see Cook's Note.) Bring the mixture to a boil in a large Dutch oven, then reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered with a lid, until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly before the chickpeas are tender, pour in an additional 1 cup of water and continue to cook. Discard the tea bag, bay leaves and cardamom. Drain the chickpeas and put them back in the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the ghee and/or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook until the raw smell goes away, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until well cooked and pasty, about 8 minutes. Add the Roasted Chana Masala Spice Blend along with 2 tablespoons of water and saute until well mixed and the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spice mixture to the chickpeas with 1 cup of water (see Cook's Note), mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until the curry thickens and coats and infuses the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges or julienned ginger slaw, if desired.
• Combine the whole spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom) in a small heavy skillet (preferably cast iron, if you have it) and roast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often to ensure even roasting, until the spices start getting darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to low and add the powdered spices (pomegranate powder, mango powder, black salt, chile powder, turmeric and asafoetida) and cook, shaking or stirring constantly, until slightly darker, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the spices. Immediately transfer the spices to a bowl and cool. Once cooled, grind the spices. You can double or triple this recipe and keep it in an airtight container for future use.

Steps:

• Combine the chickpeas with the bay leaves, black tea bag, black cardamom, if using, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of water in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until the chickpeas are soft and infused with the spices and tea, about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bag, bay leaves and cardamom pod. Drain the chickpeas and put them back in the pot they were cooking in.
• Meanwhile, heat the ghee and/or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook until the raw smell goes away, about 3 minutes. Add the chana masala along with 2 tablespoons of water and sauté until the raw smell dissipates, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the chaat masala, if using, and cook until well cooked and pasty, about 8 minutes.
• Add the spice mixture to the chickpeas with 1 cup of water, mix well and bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until the curry thickens, coats and infuses with the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Adjust the salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet.
• Add onions and garlic and sauté over a medium heat until browned (3-5 minutes).
• Turn heat to medium-low.
• Add the coriander, cumin (not the roasted cumin), cayenne and turmeric.
• Stir for a few seconds.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Cook the tomatoes until browned lightly.
• Add chickpeas and a cup of water and stir.
• Add the roasted cumin, amchoor, paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice.
• Cook covered for 10 minutes.
• Remove the cover add the minced chili and ginger.
• Stir and cook uncovered for 30 seconds.

Steps:

• Drain the chickpeas, add to a large pan with 400ml of water and season. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and set aside to allow the chickpea flavour to infuse the water.
• Blitz the onions with the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Melt the ghee in a large saucepan, then add the onion mix with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 mins, until softened.
• Stir in the spices, and cook for 3 more mins, adding a splash of the chickpea water to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and another splash of water and cook for 5 mins, squishing the tomatoes with a spoon as they soften. Tip in the chickpeas, along with their cooking water. Cook for 10 mins. Season well, add the lemon juice, and a splash of water if you like a looser curry. Scatter with the coriander, to serve.

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
• 2. Add the chickpeas, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, tomatoes, lemon juice, and about 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. This should be moist and stewlike, but not soupy; add a little more water, if needed.
• 3. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. Serve on its own in shallow bowls or over a hot cooked grain, if desired.

Steps:

• Film the bottom of a large saucepan or Dutch oven preferably not nonstick with olive oil, and place the pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is deeply caramelized and even charred in some spots. Be patient. The more color, the more full-flavored the final dish will be.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, stirring, and add a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Add the cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, garam masala, and cardamom pods, and fry them, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup water, and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the water has evaporated away completely. Pour in the juice from can of tomatoes, followed by the tomatoes themselves, using your hands to break them apart as you add them; alternatively, add them whole and crush them in the pot with a potato masher. Add the salt.
• Raise the heat to medium, and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the cilantro and cayenne, and simmer the sauce gently, stirring occasionally, until it reduces a bit and begins to thicken. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the chickpeas, stirring well, and cook over low heat for about five minutes. Add 2 Tbs water, and cook for another five minutes. Add another 2 Tbs water, and cook until the water is absorbed, a few minutes more. This process of adding and cooking off water helps to concentrate the sauce's flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender and toothsome.
• Since I was using home cooked and still slightly crunch chick peas I ended up cooking it on very low for about 1 hour to allow the chickpeas to soften and the flavors meld. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
• Stir in the yogurt, if you like, or garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro. Serve.